Find PDC emulator via nslookup query

Hi,

Just wanted to find a fast way to find who has some DC roles in the domain, sure there is the way to go into the MMC console but a fast way (and without the need to rdp the DC or install remote management tools) is running a nslookup query.

So, just open CMD and fill in the blanks:

Find all DC's:
nslookup -type=SRV _ldap._tcp.[your.fqdn.domain]

Find the PDC Emulator run:
nslookup -type=SRV _ldap._tcp.pdc._msdcs.[your.fqdn.domain]


Due credit for this site...

Simple script to check for firewall cluster failover

Hi,

I thought that you may like a very simple (but powerful) script to check if your firewall filed over to the standby node.

The script is made from 3 files:

• active_fw_ip.txt
• standby_fw_ip.txt
• Checked_FailOver_FW.cmd

The first 2 files contain exactly what they mean, each one has the IP of the active / standby firewall, to know what IP to save in the file just run a tracert command and see what is the IP that the fw is using. (if not ask your network guy).

Next, save the following content to Checked_FailOver_FW.cmd file:

************************************************************

rem *** get last check details ***

set /p active_fw_ip=

set /p standby_fw_ip=

set checked_ip=172.19.1.201

rem *** execute check ***

tracert -d -h 2 %checked_ip% | findstr "%active_fw_ip%"

if %errorlevel% == 0 goto All_OK else 

goto ip_changed

:All_OK

echo Nothing Changed...

goto end

:ip_changed

rem *** check if failover happened or something else ***

tracert -d -h 2 %checked_ip% | findstr "%standby_fw_ip%"

if %errorlevel% == 0 goto FailedOver else 

goto Error_in_check

:FailedOver

rem *** update files ***

echo %standby_fw_ip% > active_fw_ip.txt

echo %active_fw_ip% > standby_fw_ip.txt

echo echo FW Failed Over !!!

rem *** Here you put

rem *** any alerts

rem *** you may want

rem *** for a fail-over

goto end

:Error_in_check

rem *** Probebly check did not go OK ***

echo Check did not executed OK, check...

rem *** Here you put

rem *** any alerts

rem *** you may want

rem *** for a failed check

:end

************************************************************

just fill in the action you want taken when the firewall failed over or when the check did not go well.

Enjoy.


[from several checks that I did it seems that the script will work only if the firewall that you check is your default gateway... sorry...]

Add checkbox to a word document (v2013)

It seems that adding checkbox to a word document is not that easy, the option is not there by default.
So here it is (not that hard after all):

Open The option menu
Go to "Customize Ribbon" and check the "Developer" on the right side

Next just stand in the document where you need the check box to be and move to the "Developer" tab there you could find all kind of controls, one of them is the checkbox.

Enjoy...

no more cleanfreebusy switch in Outlook 2013

Hi,

Just encountered a feature change I think you should be aware of.

Although microsoft writes that Outlook supports the /CleanFreeBusy switch (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/command-line-switches-for-outlook-2013-HA102606406.aspx) they removed this option for outlook 2013 due to no free/busy information in public folders anymore (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc178954%28v=office.15%29.aspx)

You will get the following error:

Will try to find a solution and update you if something comes up..

Save Password related settings removed from GPP and Tasks

Hi,

Security, Security...

I found now that Microsoft found that saving passwords is risky and removed this feature from the settings.

The direct affected settings are:

• GPP Drive Maps
• GPP Local Users and Groups
• GPP Scheduled Tasks
• GPP Services
• GPP Data Sources
• Scheduled Tasks

No words...

The possible solutions are:

1. workaround the issue with scripts
2. Uninstall the update KB2928120 or /and KB2961899

MS Security bulletin: https://technet.microsoft.com/library/security/ms14-025

More easy to read: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2962486

Enjoy the uninstall...

I just became a Devolutions expert...

Hi,

I'm proud to say that I just became a Devolutions Expert, it is a close group of IT experts (only 10 was picked from all the world) who should help the Devolutions community.

I hope I can keep the expectations...

Free way to clean outlook contacts duplicates

Hello,

there are a lot of tools to remove duplicates outlook contacts but they are all (from what I looked) either free and do not work or work but costs money.

I found a free way to clean those duplicates.

1. Download GO Contact Sync Mod
2. Create or use a Gmail account for the settings of the program
3. Sync all the contacts to Gmail by selecting the "Outlook to Google Only" setting option
4. In Gmail go to contacts and then use the duplicate tool to clean the duplicates
5. Sync all the contacts back to Outlook by selecting the "Google to Outlook Only" setting option (making sure that "Sync Deletion" is selected)

That's it, you are free from duplicated...

Snir

How to create a windows service that listen to a TCP port

Hello,

I've been looking for quite a while now for a way to create a windows service that just answer on a TCP port that I configure, didn't needed it to do anything just answer...
I needed it to utilize our F5 load balancer in a way that our help desk guys could remove a server from the pool by stopping a windows service.

So, the searches ended here is the recipe for the windows service TCP port answerer:

The Ingredients:

1 srvany.exe from http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=17657

1 iperf.exe from https://iperf.fr

1 command line

1 registry settings

How to:

First Download the files and save them in a local directory (lets say "C:\TCP_Service").

Then, run he following command:

sc create TCP_Service binPath= "C:\TCP_Service\srvany.exe" start= auto

You can replace the TCP_Service string (after the "create" word) with any name you want (you can run sc create /? for more options)

Then save the following lines between the "====" as a parameters.reg

=========================================
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\TCP_Service\Parameters]
"AppParameters"="-s -p 1234"
"Application"="C:\\TCP_Service\\iperf.exe"


=========================================

You can change the location and port (here it is 1234) to what ever you like (the location is the same location of the srvany.exe file from the previous step.

Double click on the parameters.reg file and answer yes to all.

Run services.msc and you will see a new service named TCP_Service, start it.
Open cmd and type: telnet 127.0.0.1 1234

see that it connects...


Enjoy...

More efficient clould backup

Hi,

Following my last post on Using Syncovery and Amazon to backup your data to the cloud I moved to Google Drive sync.
I still use Syncovery as my windows sync tool and I use DriveSync on my android.
The low price caught my attention - 2$ for 100Gb per month, the lowest (reliable) could backup I found.


Have a good backup...

Snir

Unable to browse to \\tsclient\c path

Hi,

I tried to browse the \\tsclient\c path when connected via RDP with drive mapping in the client

I could not find the mapping, after a lot of searched it seems that the client had NoDrives restriction and if your drives are hidden you would not get mapped via RDP.

Link to microsoft page on registry restrictions

Link for GPO settings

All settings can be on user based (Registry - HKCU, GPO - User Configuration)

Link on how to tweak the GPO for different drives

Hope it helps...

Finally a media player to inherit kmplayer

Hi all,

for years I used kmplayer as my media player, in the last year after panda TV bought it it started to brake down. started to be heavy and uses web advertisement - just hell.
I looked and looked but could not find any player with all the features.
A second prob'em I had was windows 8 tablet I started using 2 months ago, it seems that no one thought about a very good player for windows tablet.
And then came PotPlayer, this is a full featured player much like kmplayer but with more benefits like "touch" section for tablets.
Here are some options and configuration screenshots:

Main Screen:

Touch features:

Right-Click on main screen:

 Preferences window:

You can download it from Download.com (don't use the auto-update feature)

Update (13/4/14): 

• more current version is available at http://www.dvbsupport.net/ (event more updated than the "check for update feature)
• In the latest update they added more touch features...